5 Ways to Keep Kids Safe for Poison Prevention Week with Safety 1st

Is your house safe? In honor of Poison Prevention Week (March 20 – 26th) it’s a good idea to take a step back and make sure cabinets are child proofed and all potential hazardous items are out of harm’s way.

According to a Safe Kids report, a child goes to the emergency room for accidental medicine poisoning every eight minutes! In 2013, Poison centers across the country received 2.2 million calls (AAPCC).

Need a little help to get started? Safety 1st’s has shared these 5 Tips for Keeping kids out of harm’s way

Hazards in the Kitchen:

Cabinets and drawers contain many hazards, such as cleaning supplies, plastic bags, breakable and sharp objects can be a choking hazard. Be sure to lock all cabinets and drawers to keep your child away from the contents. The OutSmart Slide Lock, Flex Lock, and Multi-Use Lock are great options for keeping little ones out of cabinets and drawers they shouldn’t be in.

If possible, try and move all cleaning supplies, including dishwasher detergent, to a locked closet or a cabinet that is up high and out of your child's reach.

What to look for in the bathroom:

Keep cabinets and drawers locked to prevent children from accessing medications, toothpaste, perfumes, lotions, deodorant, mouthwash, even dipper rash cream etc - all of which can be dangerous if ingested. In the tub, keep soaps and shampoos out of your child's reach.

Invest in a toilet lock. Children can drown in one inch of water. It’s also a good idea to keep doors to bathrooms closed.

Beyond the medicine cabinet:

Make sure you safely dispose of any unneeded or expired medications. Medicine often looks like candy and it only take a second for a child to pop it in his or her mouth. In 67 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the medicine was left within reach of the child, such as in a purse, on a counter, or under a sofa cushion (Safe Kids).

Other areas of concern:

Exploring is great but some adventures should not be taken without the supervision of a parent. The OutSmart Knob Covers help keep on-foot explorers from wandering into unwanted areas, such as the laundry room. If there is not a door for the laundry room make sure you have a gate up. Children have been known to climb in front loader washers and dryers and get stuck inside.

Need help?

Save the toll-free Poison Help line number on your phone or put it on the refrigerator: 1-800-222-1222. The Poison Help line is not just for emergencies, you can call with questions about how to take or give medicine, concerns about plants, chemicals, carbon monoxide, bites, stings and more.

The new Safety 1st OutSmart home safety line was developed to help prevent your child from getting into something they shouldn’t!

OutSmart products feature a non-functional “decoy” button that is designed to redirect your child’s attention from trying to get into the cabinet or opening a door. The actual activation buttons are hidden under a smooth surface that requires a two-finger squeeze-to-open.

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Keep cabinets and drawers locked to prevent children from accessing medications, toothpaste, perfumes, lotions, deodorant, mouthwash, even dipper rash cream etc - all of which can be dangerous if ingested. In the tub, keep soaps and shampoos out of your child's reach.

This tip is important: Make sure you safely dispose of any unneeded or expired medications. Medicine often looks like candy and it only take a second for a child to pop it in his or her mouth. In 67 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the medicine was left within reach of the child, such as in a purse, on a counter, or under a sofa cushiontwinkle at optonline dot net